Ruby City, the new 14,000-square-foot art center, derives its name from the iris-burning hue of its crimson cladding, which includes recycled red glass, pigment, mica, volcanic rock, and other admixtures.

The building's icy, transparent envelope deploys an unconventional type of glass in a crenellated profile that, according to SHoP's Gregg Pasquarelli, suggests “almost a contemporary version of pier architecture.”